Professor Michele DeStefano, the Larry Hoffman, Greenberg Traurig Distinguished Professor of the Business of Law, published the book “The Leader Upheaval Handbook: Lead Teams on an Innovation & Collaboration Journey with the 3-4-5 Method” in fall 2023. One of the barriers to innovation in professional services is a lack of training in how to apply design thinking principles and lead multidisciplinary teams in collaborative problem solving. With real examples, this handbook helps teams collaborate on solving problems or seizing opportunities of any kind and enhance collaboration, inclusivity, creative thinking, and actionable results.
DeStefano – a former marketing executive and now a professor at Miami Law and Affiliated Faculty and Program Chair in Harvard Law School’s Executive Education program – has spent over a decade researching client-centricity, collaboration, and innovation. This handbook, and the method it is based on, are the fruit of DeStefano’s 13 years of experience leading over more than 230 multidisciplinary, multicultural, and intergenerational teams on a 4-month innovation journey from a problem to a viable solution.
DeStefano researches and writes about the growing intersections between law, business, and legal innovation. Recently, she helped co-create and spearhead the development of the Digital Legal Exchange, a non-profit designed to inspire general counsel and their teams to become digital leaders in their businesses to drive commercial value. To date, her work has been published in leading law journals and featured in a range of media. She has also published two additional books: “Legal Upheaval: A Guide to Creativity, Collaboration, and Innovation in Law” and “New Suits: Appetite for Disruption in the Legal World.”
